ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rule — a law
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. staff — employees
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rule — government
  15. prune — to trim
  16. game — a match
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cell — in biology
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. prune — to trim
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com